Today I would like to offer my review of the newest cigar to come out of Don Doroteo cigars. If you recall from previous reviews, Don Doroteo entered the market back in 2020 at the PCA Trade Trade show. This year the company introduced their latest craft, Don Doroteo El Alcalde 15 Años Torpedo. If you know just a little Spanish, you will understand that this cigar is 15 years (Años) old . El Alcalde has been extensively aged – as the cigars were rolled in 2008 and have been stored at the La Aurora factory, in Santiago, Dominican Republic.
The cigar is a homage to founder, Juan Lugo’s grandfather’s “humble beginnings as a young tobacco farmer,” and became mayor of El Caimito Afuera in La Vega, Dominican Republic. The phrase El Alcalde translates to “The Mayor”.
Juan Lugo, founder of Don Doroteo Cigars stated:
“My grandfather and his example will always be a guiding light for me. Coming from poverty and with little education, he was able to become a respected tobacco grower, and a leader within his community. This cigar is in honor of his accomplishments. El Alcalde is a blend that has gone through extensive aging (15 years), and we are confident that it will be well received.”
The El Alcalde blend is described as:
- Wrapper: Sumatra seed grown in Ecuador
- Binder: Sumatra grown in Ecuador
- Filler: Brazil, Dominican Republic (Cibao Region)
El Alcalde is expressed in a single (6 1/4 x 52) Belicoso vitola and are housed in boxes of 5. They retail for $29.75/cigar.
For this review, I sampled three of the Don Doroteo El Alcalde 15 Años Belicosos, which I received from the company for the purpose of reviewing on Stogie Press.
Pre-Light Examination
The Don Doroteo El Alcalde 15 Años sports a lightly glistening, medium to dark brown wrapper with a mild toothiness and some noticeable veins. The cigar exhibits a solid packing from head to foot with no soft spots detected along the barrel. A well finished Belicoso cap completes the construction.
The cigar is adorned with 3 bands. The Primary band incorporates the company’s logo on top along the the name El Alcalde 1969-71, representing the years that Juan’s grandfather was El Alcalde. A secondary band is placed just below the primary that displays 15 Años in the center along with MMVIII (2008) on the left and MMXXIII (2023) representing the 15 years this cigar has been aging. Finally a sky blue footer band is included.
Running the Don Doroteo El Alcalde 15 Años along thee nose, I picked up barnyard notes along the barrel and a more pungent barnyard off the foot.
I opened the cap using a straight cut about 1/4 down from the tip of head and gave it some cold draw puffs that i found to be perfectly restricted while offering earthy and tangy notes with a mild black peppery burn on the lips and tongue. A few more cold draws treat the palate to a slight tobacco sweetness. I like the pre-light on this.
Using my Xikar fan flame torch, I warmed the foot to an even orange glow and drew in the first introductory puffs of dark chocolate. Follow along as I burn this one to ash.
Cigar Review Notes
- Right off the first lit puff, dark chocolate essences begin the journey
- A light grey ash forms on top of medium thick char line
- Caramel notes join the early profile
- A soothing cream wraps the profile together well
- Mild wave forms in the burn
- Refreshing fruit notes enter moving into the second third
- Ash fell in a solid chunk revealing a well formed burn cone
- Sweet cracker notes enter midway
- Dark cocoa notes with a backdrop of mouthwatering citrus takes the profile deep in second third
- Touch of spice entering the final third
- Earthy in the final
- Medium In Strength
- Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 40 minutes
Final Analysis
From the very first puff of the Don Doroteo El Alcalde 15 Años, a rich essence of dark chocolate sets the tone for an indulgent journey. Caramel notes soon join the profile, with the sweetness enveloped in a velvety creaminess that smooths the overall experience. Refreshing hints of fruit emerge to introduce the second third. Midway through, sweet cracker notes make a subtle entrance, while dark cocoa deepens the profile, complemented by a bright touch of citrus that tantalizes the palate. As the final third approaches, a hint of spice sneaks in, along with a more earthy array of notes down to the nub. This is certainly a box buy and smokeable right out of the box. I rate this a stellar 96.
Point Deductions: (-1) Wavy Burn
Bonus Points: (+1) Box Buy; (+1) Extremely Well Balanced Across Multiple Samples; (+1) Long Ash
